Joint fish-plate for railroads.



No. 785,042. I I PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

. 1). c. JOHNSON. V

JOINT FISH PLATE FOR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION TILED APB 25. 1 904. I

' Alfonzey W1 71v15555s- 1 [NVENTOR UNITED STATES- Patented March 14, 1905. V

DEWITT O. JOHNSON, OF HUTCHINSON, KANSAS.

JOINT FISH-PLATE FOR RAILROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iietters Patent N0. 785,042, dated March 14;, 1905.

Application filed April 25, 1904. Serial No. 204,865

To (LZZ whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, DEWITT C. J OHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hutchinson, in the county of Reno and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Joint Fish-Plates for Railroads, of which the following is a specification;

My invention relates to rail-joints, and more particularly to the fish-plates comprising a rail-joint used in connection with a metallic tie.

The object of the invention is to provide a rail-joint comprising fish-plates having shoulders adapted to seat against the side surfaces of the tie in order to prevent longitudinal displacement of the tie or fish-plates.

Furthermore, the object of the invention is to provide a fish-plate having extensions extending over the top surface of the rail for a predetermined distance and means for securing the extensions to the top surface of the tie.

Finally, the object of the invention is to provide a rail-joint comprising fish-plates adapted to have their abutting edges soldered together beneath the rail and forminga box inclosing' the base of the rail.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of the parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the inyention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which corresponding parts in the several views are indicated by similar reference characters, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a rail embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig.3 is a perspective View of one of the fish-plates.

, In the drawings, 1 denotes the rails of any railroad-track, and 2 the joint between the rm 5.

The metal ties 3 3 have cut-away portions 4, as shown in Fig. 2, and in which the fishplates 5 are adapted to seat. The fish-plates are formed with vertical side walls 6 and lateral extensions 8, which extend over the base of the rail and terminate in under flanges 11,

which form a tight joint, with their abutting edges beneath the rail and which may be connected with solder or by anybrazing metal, and thereby forming a solid joint.

The fish-plates are provided with a cutaway portion 7, which seats in the out-away portion of the tie,'and, as will be observed, the cutaway portion of the fish-plates extends a predetermined distance along the side surface of the tie, as shown at 9. This forms a seating shoulder, which prevents the fish-plate from longitudinal movement and at the same time holds the ties in a fixed relation to each other.

Lateral clips 10, which seat in the top surface of the tie and which are connected to the ties by means of screws, extend over the lateral extension of the fish-plate and have their ends abutting against the vertical flange of the same. The lateral clips serve to prevent the fish-plates from becoming; accidentally displaced through the vibration of the rails when a train is passing over the same.

The operation of my improved fish-plate is 'so perfect that no bolts are necessary to connectit to a metal tie; butI make provision to bolt the same to either a metal or wooden tie by means of the lateral clips.

In applying my device the fish-plates are seated in the cut-away portion of the ties, and, if desired, they may be connected to the tie by soldering; but this is not necessary, as

the fish-plates seat in the cut-away portion of the tie and the rails are inserted endwise and are held rigidly in position by the fishplates.

With my invention it costs less to keep the track in repair, as no bolts are required to clamp the fish-plates to the rails, and the contraction or expansion of the rails, caused by the hot and cold weather, will not interfere with the same, as no bolt connections are necessary and the rails are allowed room for longitudinal expansion and contraction.

The construction, operation, and advantages, it is thought, will be understood from the foregoing description, it being noted that various changes maybe made in the proportion and details of construction without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rail-joint of the character described fish-plates having vertical flanges and lateral extensions, said lateral extensions terminating in abutting edges beneath the surface of the rail, said fish-plates having cut-away portions forming abutting shoulders and means for securing the fish-plates to the ties and rails as and for the purpose described.

2. In a rail-joint comprising fish-plates having vertical flanges and lateral extensions abutting beneath the base of the rail, said fish-plates having cut-away portions forming abutting shoulders for the side surfaces of the tie, lateral clips having one end secured to the tie and its opposite end extending over the flange of the fish-plate and means for securing the lateral projections to the tie as and for the purpose described. 3. In a rail-joint comprising fish-plates ben to conform to the contour of the rail and having their abutting edges beneath the rail, said extensions extending over and under the baseflange of the rail forming abutting edges, a

tie having a cut-away portion adapted to re- :ceive thefish-plates and means for securing the tie to the fish-plates and means for preventing the longitudinal displacement of the fishrplates substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DEWITT (J. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

ARTHUR E. ASHER, WALDO N. LITTLE. 

